South Carolina is ranked No. 35 in the nation in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 40, announced Monday morning. The Gamecocks begin the 2016 season on Friday, Feb. 19, hosting Albany at Founders Park.

The Gamecocks return five position starters, 13 pitchers and 23 letter winners from last year’s team and will also feature a recruiting class that has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball.

South Carolina won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2010 and 2011 at the College World Series. South Carolina has made 11 College World Series appearances, including six times in the last 14 years. In those 11 appearances, the Gamecocks have gone 32-20 for a .615 winning percentage. That is sixth best among winning percentage leaders in CWS history.

South Carolina is one of three schools in the nation to have reached at least 11 NCAA Super Regionals since 2000 and has the most NCAA Super Regional appearances of the 14 SEC schools since 2000. In addition, the Gamecocks own the second-highest win total in Division I baseball since 2000 (745-314 record) and more conference wins than any SEC team since 2000 (288-189 record).

South Carolina is one of only five schools in the nation to host aN NCAA Regional in five of the last six years.

The preseason poll factors in voting by NCAA Division I coaches across the nation, how a team finished last season nationally, returning position player starters and pitchers, potential draft picks and the quality of its recruiting class last fall.